A few weeks ago my husband and I were driving to Montana, listening to music on his iPod.  “Tango Shoes” (July’s Song of the Month) came on, and in a sort of meditative passenger state,
I got pulled into the lyrics of the song while watching the scenery going by.

 The chorus is:
My new tango shoes,
They are my treasure. They are so cool!
My new tango shoes,
They are my ticket!  My tools!
New new tango shoes
Are going to help me dance away from you.
My new tango shoes!

The song is pretty simple really – dance empowers her to leave a situation that is not good for her, but that got me to think about the power of dance.  Yes, dance is fun, and as a society we may or may not put a whole lot of value on that, but it is also powerful.  As Vicki Baum says, dancing is a short-cut to
happiness, but perhaps it’s also a short-cut to good mental health?  Have you ever seen a child who didn’t just instinctively and ecstatically dance when music comes on? If to dance is an instinct, and the purpose of insticts is survival, then perhaps dance plays a really important part in our overall well-being and evolution?
What role does dance play in your life?

Music is obviously very important to dance, and so we have decided to start having “Song Suggestions” for songs that are about dance or how dance affects/improves our lives.

“Tango Shoes” by Bif Naked is July’s song of the month.  It’s a fun little tune about how a pair of tango shoes purchased from a vintage shop empowers her to dance out of a relationship that is not working for her.

“Tango Shoes” is on the Essentially Naked release, which is available for download on eMusic.com.
http://www.emusic.com/album/Bif-Naked-Essentially-Naked-MP3-Download/11350773.html

If you are not already an eMusic member, you can sign up for a free 2-week, 25 song download trial by clicking on the eMusic logo on the right-hand side of the page.

The Mediterranean Fantasy Festival - oft called MedFest – is this weekend!  Produced by the Babylonian Ensemble, MedFest is an annual event looked forward to and attended by 100s of bellydancers, fans and enthusiasts.  It’s two days of fabulous outdoor, as well as some indoor, fun!  Don’t miss it.

July 18 & 19 2009
the Twenty-Second Annual!
Hiawatha Community Center
2700 California Ave SW
West Seattle, WA
10:00am to 9:00pm
http://babylonianensemble.com/

Centerstage will be vending at  the festival, so feel free to stop by and say hello!

Want to see what it’s like to be a dancer living in New York City?  Dance 212 follows the lives of 4 dancers as they chase their hopes and dreams.  View the first episode in Lorin Takes the Lead.

This performance got a standing ovation from the judges.  Nigel Lithgoe said it was perfection, and that is no small feat for Argentinian Tango.  It is sheer fabulosity, so whether you have seen it before or not, ENJOY!

Dance supply packaging is probably not something that most people think about or consider high on their list of importance.  However, generally shoes come in boxes, and so at some point, you do have to make a decision about what to do with it.  You could throw it out, recycle it, or -best case scenario- reuse it, and that’s where we come in.  When possible, we reuse this packaging to send out online or phone orders, but since most people take these boxes home, our supply has been limited.  So, we have decided to start asking people when they are checking out if they want to keep the shoebox.  If yes, fine, but if no, that’s great too.  It’s a win-win situation.

“There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them.”

~Vicki Baum~

Colorful Camisole Paisley Tops

It’s summer!  The trees are green, and the flowers are in full bloom, so what’s more perfect than dressing up in colorful paisley tops by AMB Designs.  They come in 12 different fabulous colors and two different styles: a solid camisole and a sheer long-sleeve mesh.

We carry these tops at our retail location, and you can also find them at our online sister site Cobweb Clothing.

Both are $19.

Long Sleeve Mesh Paisley Top

We will be closed on Saturday, July 4th, but we will resume regular business hours on Sunday, July 5th.

Happy 4th of July!